Trust is a make-or-break attribute for leaders. Without trust leaders may be left to their own accord when driving improvements; limiting learning, growth, and development in their organization.
Learning, growth, and development are dependent on new ideas and solutions. These ideas with not be shared with any leaders, where trust does not exist. Leaders need ideas from all team members that may have opinions or experience that can offer an organization innovative solutions.
Take an organization that wants to improve customer service. The opinions and experience from those providing the customer service is instrumental when examining opportunities to improve workflow, staff competencies, or resources needed to improve the customer experience. These front-line staff employees live and breath the process everyday, so they have the most knowledge of the current situation and what may improve the outcome.
However, if front-line employees do not feel safe to share their opinions and expertise they will not share. If they feel there could be retaliation or some form of retribution based on their feedback they will be reluctant to share and the innovation is halted. Leaders must display behaviors on a regular basis to demonstrate that they can be trusted. Trusted to do the right thing, to respect the opinions and expertise of others, and act on it appropriately.
So how do leaders display trust? Well first they must possess the inherent integrity and credibility to be trustworthy. But there are simple things leaders can do to display trusting behaviors. Think for example of a leader you have worked with in the past. What behaviors did they display? Did they take credit for your work? Did they do what they said they were going to do? Was it done in the time frame they promised? Did they hide information, or were they transparent to explain “the why” of what was happening? Did they show others respect and tell the truth? Were they willing to admit their shortcomings or apologize if they made a mistake? Did they hold themself and others accountable? Did they keep their commitments? Did they extend trust to others?
These are common behavioral mistakes that leaders make. Leaders’ behaviors impact the perceptions of others. Behaviors can be improved with intentional or deliberate intentions and practice. Sometime conscious efforts need to be made to demonstrate trusting behaviors. Some behaviors are easier than others such as giving credit freely, avoiding excuses, telling the truth and explaining the why, being transparent, letting staff see your genuine self, hold people accountable, and say what you’re going to do and do what you say.
Trust is something that is important not only in leadership positions, but in life. Reflect on how trust impacts your relationships with your friends, significant other, children, or other family members. Are there relationship where you have lost trust? What was the root cause of this loss of trust? Learn and grow from these situations as well, to deepen your integrity. Which will in turn make you a more trusting person and leader.
Extend trust and you will receive trust. Receive trust and you will have richer and more productive relationship both at home and at work.